A recent Apple patent application hints at the creation of iTunes kiosks for local and remote media downloading in public areas, such as airports, malls, hotels and even public transportation.

With these kiosks, consumers on the run would be able to browse selective, popular media—such as new releases—and purchase then download the content into the handhelds after swiping their credit card. Although it sounds quite simple, means of getting the content into the actual handheld could prove to be quite difficult as device connectors could be worn down or tampered with, and Wi-Fi hotspots could get hacked or overloaded. [iPodnn]